


A Match Made In Heaven

by anastasiapullingteeth



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, Aromantic, Everything Is Platonic Here, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Homophobia, M/M, Negative Thoughts, POV Alternating, Peach Fuzz, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Relationships, arophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 15:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10969761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anastasiapullingteeth/pseuds/anastasiapullingteeth
Summary: Grantaire’s bullied in his school and lies about having a boyfriend to shut some asshole’s mouth. He accidentally says Jehan’s name and now has to pretend to be in love with a boy he’s barely spoken to, and that seems to be completely indifferent to anything remotely romantic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this almost entirely back in 2014 when I started identifying as aro, and I thought I’d finish it for [@aversivelyarospec](aggressivelyarospec.tumblr.com)’s fanwork week.
> 
> By the way, do you know what [peach fuzz](http://arospecawarenessweek.tumblr.com/post/107954467087/prospitans-peach-fuzz-when-qps-pretend-to-be) means in the aro community? Because I came across this therm recently and that’s _kinda_ what this fic is about.

"Come on, man. Stop all that bullshit. No one will ever want to be with you. Like, never. It ain’t gonna happen.”

That certainly hits a sore spot on Grantaire’s ego, but he won’t let it show. He doesn’t remember how he got into this childlike argument in the middle of a crowded dining hall with Julian, one of the guys from his boxing class, but now it’s no longer important. He hates this jackass, always showing himself like a peacock around the gym, looking down at everyone who comes close to him. So, when he commented that it didn't matter how much Grantaire practiced, he would never get laid with that face, he’d jumped off his chair and shoved him against the wall. The entire dining hall is staring at them now and Grantaire wants nothing more than to walk away.

He bites his lip and says instead “Just so you know, I’m dating someone, asshole.”

“Oh, really?"Julian asks, adjusting his shirt. "Do you have a little girlfriend? Or is it a boyfriend?” He laughs like the villain from a mediocre soap opera and Grantaire rolls his eyes in return. “Okay, so what’s their name then?”

“Oh my god, are we really doing this? I have absolutely no need to prove anything to you.” He isn’t sure where that came from, but he feels really proud of himself for about two seconds before mister douchebag speaks again.

“Yeah, I knew you were lying.”

“No, I’m not.”

He is, though; he hasn’t dated anyone in years. Never, probably, no one who mattered anyway. And he understands, really. He knows how he looks and how annoying he can be -that’s why he’s in this boarding school instead of at home like his sister-, but he still has hope, and having this fucking dickhead shoving in his face how stupid it sounds, it's… well, painful.

“Give me a name-”

“Jehan.” Grantaire says the first name that comes to his mind and then frowns when the word fully registers in his head, wondering how on Earth he could reach this level of stupidity.

“That weird guy that helps at the library? The one with the long hair and nasty clothes?”

“… Yeah?”

“Okay… Let’s go ask him!” Julian commands, and before Grantaire can say another word, the guy runs to the library, closely followed by his friends. Grantaire grunts. How old are they, five? He sighs deeply and runs behind them, but by the time he finally comes close, they’re already in front of Jehan’s desk talking to the slim boy. If only he’d said any other name; Éponine was a safer option, why had he said Jehan?! He barely knows him.

He’s screwed. Now the entire school will laugh at him.

 

***

 

Jehan wonders if he’s still asleep. There are four guys standing in front of his desk, asking him about his boyfriend? He doesn’t even know them, what the hell do they care? He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear with a tired sigh and goes back to the books he was checking before this nonsense.

“I don’t see how my personal life is any of your business,” he says, writing down some information of the book between his hands. The guy who had asked him shifts in front of him, leaning closer on the desk; Jehan frowns at him between his bangs.

“See, I know this guy who says he’s dating you? And I’m sure it’s all bullshit, so tell me whether you’re dating someone or not and I'll let you go back to your precious books, uh? That’s all I want.”

Jehan’s about to say that no, he isn’t dating anyone and won’t date anyone in the nearest future when he sees Grantaire stumbling into the library, earning some leers from the people reading by the door. His face is pale and when their eyes meet, he sees desperation in Grantaire’s. He looks back at the guys standing in front of his desk and runs his tongue over his lips.

“This is about Grantaire, isn’t it?” he asks almost in a whisper.

“Well, yeah. Why? He’s lying, isn’t he? I knew it!” He bangs his fist on Jehan desk and the people around them shush him angrily. “I knew it,” he repeats in a lower voice.

Jehan sees Grantaire from the corner of his eye and smiles gently. “No, he’s not lying. We are dating.”

 

***

 

Grantaire stops short a few steps away from Jehan's desk. He said they were ... dating? What the fuck, was he some sort of seer or what? Had Grantaire missed something? It wouldn't be the first time, but how- what was even happening?

"Oh, and speaking of." Jehan smiles at him and the other four guys turn around, surprise written all over their faces. "Come here... honey," Jehan adds, an eyebrow twitching with uncertainty, and waves his hand to encourage him to come behind his desk.

Grantaire wiggles his eyebrows once, standing awkwardly next to Jehan, who had gone back to his books after squeezing his hand gently for a brief second. The other boys stare at them for what it feels like an eternity and then leave, murmuring the entire way out of the library. Grantaire bites his tongue a little nervous. "So..."

"Hold on," Jehan asks. "I'm about to finish here and then we can go find something to eat, while you explain to me how exactly we ended up dating."

"Uhm."

"You can sit here," he offers a worn out stool and Grantaire sits immediately, somehow scared of what's about to come.

"Ok…"

Jehan is not mad, though, and he smiles at him a few minutes later when he announces he's finished. They walk together in silence to a small cafeteria inside the school -that Grantaire always tries to avoid-, and sit down in one of the tables. He waits until Jehan has ordered a cheese and ham sandwich, asking for a frappe for himself, and proceeds to explain.

"I know what you're thinking. That I've gone completely out of my mind making up stories about us dating and shit, but I swear it's nothing like that. The thing is, uhm, well, I ... "

"Who's that guy?" Jehan asks, his hands clasped casually over the table.

"He's an asshole," Grantaire grunts, taking a napkin and folding it carelessly over and over. Conscious that he didn't answer Jehan's question, he adds. "His name's Julian. We go together to boxing class. He's an ass and is always barking about how wonderful he is compared to all of us. Bahorel usually makes him stop with a simple glare, but you know he's been absent since he got injured during a practice, so this dude feels like he's the king of the mountain or some shit. "

"And he has picked on you."

Grantaire makes a grimace. He feels stupid, like some sort of whining kid complaining to his mother about the bully of the classroom. He's supposed to be a "big boy" now ... somehow, he should be able to fight his own battles and not beg for Jehan's help, who most certainly has better things to do than listening to his pathetic problems. And so Grantaire says right after the waitress sets their orders in front of them.

"Look, we've known each other for a long time, right? But you really don't have to do this. Like, this is the longest we've talked since- since we met. Don't feel like you have to help me just because we sometimes hang out after the meetings. I'm pretty sure you have better things to do with your time and- "

"What would I have to do exactly?" Jehan interrupts, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Eh?"

"If I do the pretend boyfriend thing, what would I have to do exactly? "

Grantaire thinks for a second, still taken aback by Jehan's words. He takes a sips of his coffee and shrugs. "Well, like, the usual, you know?"

"I really don't, that's why I'm asking." Jehan smiles, being completely honest.

"Oh... Well, I guess holding hands and that kind of stuff? You don't have to kiss me, don't worry, I won't force you into that. "

"Hugs and leaning our foreheads together and all that, right?"

Grantaire blushes for some reason. "Yeah, uh, we can do that."

Jehan stays silent for a moment, chewing the food in his mouth, and looking at Grantaire with narrowed eyes. He swallows and Grantaire lowers his eyes to his half-empty coffee, tapping his thumb on the edge of the table. He feels uneasy, like he's waiting for some life-changing news -which he sort of is, since he'd be the joke of the whole school if they found out he'd made up the whole thing.

"Okay." Jehan says at least and Grantaire snaps his head up. "I'll do it. But with one condition. "

"Anything man. Anything you want. "

"You'll have to tell me if I'm doing anything wrong or if I'm acting weird, okay? I will actually need your help with that."

"Ah, okay?" He is not sure what Jehan means, but he nods anyway. "Yeah, don't worry about it."

Jehan is such a good friend. They stay in the coffee shop for an hour, mostly exchanging schedules and somehow planning what they'll do in front of the bullies. Grantaire feels a lot calmer now.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Jehan doesn’t see Grantaire the next day. They agreed that if they showed up in front of everyone being all clingy all of a sudden, it’d be suspicious. So they’re keeping a low profile that consists in only sending each other messages once in a while. Grantaire’s the first one to do so during Jehan’s Dutch class.

_im sooooo bored. i swear the clock hasnt moved in like ten minutes_

_Hold on there. It’s almost over._

He presses the “Send” bottom and looks up at the board again until his phone buzzes on his desk. The message is just a series of frowning faces and he answers mostly to prevent Grantaire from sleeping in the middle of his class.

He isn’t really sure what he’s supposed to do now that he has a fake boyfriend, so the next time Grantaire has practice, he decides to wait up for him outside the gym and maybe invite him over to watch a movie together? Couples do that, right? He does that with his best friend, Cosette, but he’s almost completely certain that that’s something couples do in a totally different arrangement. Maybe he should ask Grantaire. He sits on a big bench, braiding his hair absently, as he waits for Grantaire to show up.

“Oh, look. It's Grantaire’s boyfriend!” one of the boys from the other day shouts, talking to someone still inside the gym. A group of people, both boys and girls, poke their heads out of the room, staring at him with wide eyes. He doesn’t understand why the fuss, but smiles shyly and waves a hand. Grantaire appears seconds later with his mouth slightly open.

 

***

 

Jehan is there, waiting for him outside the gym, smiling and waving his hand as if this was something real. He catches his eyes and the smile grows even bigger after he comes to his feet and approaches him. “Hi,” he says simply.

“Hi… What’d ya doing here?” he mumbles, leaning closer to say the words into Jehan’s ear. The noise behind them makes him think that maybe it looks like something more intimate and can’t help but to roll his eyes. People are so easily fooled.

“Oh, shit. Did I do something wrong? It’s too soon for this? I’m so sorry!” Jehan apologizes awkwardly, and covers his mouth in panick.

Grantaire actually laughs at that. “Calm down, it's okay. You took me by surprise, that’s all.” He kisses his cheek lightly to assert his point. The gossip is even louder now.

“I thought we could watch a movie later, if it’s okay.” Jehan suggests and he nods.

Jehan walks in front of him and he doesn't know if he is allowed to hold Jehan's hands, even though they discussed previously that it was okay. Grantaire can still feel the eyes of his team mates in the back of his head, so he strides closer to the other boy and brushes his fingers against Jehan's wrist. Jehan looks down for a second and then takes his hand firmly and confidently, like the've done that many times before.

"Sorry," Jehan whispers, leaning closer to his side. "I forgot."

They hear a whistle behind them and Grantaire smiles. It’s gonna be easier than he thought.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Movie night with Grantaire is interesting. It starts a little awkward, both sitting on Jehan’s bed with a laptop in front of them, and their eyes shifting between the screen and the other boy. Grantaire smiles sheepishly every time he catches Jehan looking, but never complaints or asks him to stop. By the time the movie is over, they both are laughing and talking, in a way that makes Jehan's stomach flutter; it's so easy to be with Grantaire like that, he doesn't know why they hadn't done it before.

“Bahorel told me about that, but he never mentioned the goat.” Jehan says between gasps, clutching at his sides; his stomach hurts for laughing so hard.

“Of course he forgot, that asshole. But Javert didn’t; I was in detention for a week because of him.”

“How comes we never talked like this before?” Jehan inquiries.

“I don’t know… We were busy with other stuff, I guess.”

Jehan is happy Grantaire’s fight at the dining hall had resulted in them getting to know each other a lot better. He always consider him interesting, ready to tell a funny story after one of their meetings, but it never occured to him to approach the boy. He used to think they were completly different, and Grantaire's charm was a little intimidating, but after this new arrangement, he's starting to think they have more things in common than expected.

Maybe this pretend dating isn’t how he thought it’d happen, but he didn’t have the guts to talk to him before and Grantaire never seemed interested in him. He’s not even sure why he said his name back then but he’s glad he did if it it meant he'd be friends with someone as amazing as Grantaire.

“Wanna go for an ice-cream next week?” the other boy asks, pulling Jehan out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, sure.”

They’re allowed to go to town once a month. Jehan always goes with Cosette, but since the girl started dating Marius, he’s hung out more with Bahorel and Feuilly. He’s actually excited to go with Grantaire this time. They both tour on the stores: the go to try on hats first and take a lot of pictures together. Then Grantaire persuades him to go into an art shop where he spends almost two hours, but Jehan gets his revenge at the bookstore; Grantaire has to physically drag him out of it after noticing Jehan has no intention of leaving on his own. Everything is going perfect until they see Julian, the boy that has picked on Grantaire, outside the ice-cream saloon.

“Fuck…” Grantaire whispers, stopping before he can see them. “What are we gonna do?”

Jehan draws in a breath; he has an idea but he’s not sure he wants to do it. “Kiss me?” he says, but his uncertainty it’s clear in his words.

“You don’t have to do it.”

“Then what you suggest? … Grantaire!” he urges.

Grantaire looks unsure as well for a few seconds, but tilts his head just in time when the bully turns to look at them and soon his lips are on Jehan’s. Even though he proposed it himself, Jehan is actually surprised to feel the warm touch of Grantaire’s mouth on his. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s still weird and… out of place. It isn’t a deep kiss, but Jehan has to pull back half way through it because it becomes too much for him.

Someone walks next to him and hits his shoulder, but neither of them does as much as to stare at the back of the Julian. The tension between him and Grantaire is palpable, like they broke some sort of intangible barrier -it was way too soon in their friendship for that, but Jehan tries to recover quickly. He smiles, more to reassure himself than Grantaire, but it works both ways.

“So, ice-cream?” he says, and Grantaire follows with a small nod.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“And what are we gonna tell them?”

“That we’re together? I don’t think any of them has a problem with that.”

It’s Thursday, the day Enjolras gathers them all in one of the empty classrooms for the meeting of his small club. All their friends are gonna be there and it’d be the first time they face them after the whole fake boyfriend thing. Some of them already know about it: Grantaire told Éponine, of course, and Bossuet and Joly, and it’s safe to think they told Musichetta. He knows Jehan told Cosette and Bahorel, who told Marius and Feuilly, so, in short, the only ones that probably don’t know are Enjolras, Combeferre and Courfeyrac. He’s a little bit worried at their reactions.

“Pretend boyfriends?” Courfeyrac asks with a giggle. “Oh my god, really?”

“You should’ve let me kick that fucker’s ass instead.” Bahorel grunts.

“With what leg? You’re still hurt, knucklehead.”

“Well, it won’t be that bad, as long as you keep the secret.”

“Grantaire, may I speak with you?” Enjolras ask and they both walk away from their friends; Grantaire just knows something bad is about to happen. “You forgot Jehan’s aromantic asexual, didn’t you?”

“Uh… no. I didn’t because I didn't even know that. But thanks for spitting it at my face so bluntly?”

“I shouldn't been telling you this, but I think is selfish and frankly disgusting that you’re forcing him into this. You didn't consider what all this meant for Jehan, did you?” Enjolras is serious about it and Grantaire can’t believe he’s being serious about it. They’d literally just told them how exactly it had happened, wasn’t he listening?

“Whoa, what?" Grantaire asks incredulous; he's never seen Enjolras mad like this. "I’m not forcing him into anything, he agreed. Besides, I think if I should be talking about this with someone, it should be him, not you.”

“I’m worried about him. I know him since-, well, since forever, he’s my sister’s best friend after all.” Enjolras remembers he needs to breathe between his rant and stops to do so. He looks at Grantaire with severe eyes. “It might be a joke for you but this is serious; he doesn’t need this, Grantaire. ”

Grantaire closes his eyes, fighting to control his temper and not punching Enjolras right there. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not gonna hurt him, I’d never do that, okay?” Enjolras is frowning and Grantaire seriously considers punching him after all. “I’ll talk to him; if he’s uncomfortable with this, I’ll cut it off myself. Happy?”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me for that. I don’t know what kind of monster you think I am, but I can assure you you’re wrong. I would never hurt Jehan. Never.”

Enjolras blushes; at least he has the decency to look embarrassed. “Okay…” it’s all he says, giving the conversation for finished.

Grantaire walks with Jehan to the dormitories when the meeting’s over, trying to find the right words for what he has to say. He’s still a little mad at Enjolras for immediately assuming he was taking advantage of Jehan, but he understands his concern. Jehan stops outside his room and crosses his arms over his chest.

“What is it?” he inquires.

“Eh?”

“Something’s bothering you.” He guides him inside his room and sits on the bed with the legs folded under him. Grantaire remains standing.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re uh… well, not like… interested in relationships?”

“… I thought you knew.”

“Well, I didn’t.”

“Oh… Grantaire, I’m aromantic” Jehan says smiling teasingly, accentuating the word Grantaire didn’t say to make it clear.

Grantaire laughs with him, but becomes serious again since he has something important to ask. “You’re not… uncomfortable with this, are you?”

“‘This’ meaning pretending to be your boyfriend?” He nods. “Not at all.”

“But the kiss…” he trails off. Now he kind of understands Jehan’s reaction.

“Yeah, that was weird… But I mean, I know it’s not for real and, since you never paid much attention to me, I assume it isn’t real for you, either… Because you don’t feel anything for me, do you?”

“Nope. Other than wanting to be your friend, I don’t really.”

“So everything’s fine, then. I want to help you and, I don't know if you feel the same way but... I've had a lot of fun so far."

Grantaire nods, smiling. "Me too. _Boyfriend_."

Jehan shudders mockingly.


	2. Chapter 2

Jehan looks around the gym searching for Grantaire. He has to cover up for Chantelle -who called in sick that morning- and wants to let the boy know he won't be able to hang out with him. Grantaire cocks his head, and says he has no problem with going with him to the library and helping him. Since they started the little charade, Grantaire has spent quite some time behind Jehan's desk, where they are now: Jehan is going through a list on the computer, while Grantaire sits next to him, boring holes in the back of Julian’s head with his eyes.

They were a little surprised when he walked in, but probably not as much as Julian seemed after seeing them together. He’s been trying to catch them out of guard a couple of times before but, so far, has come empty handed. “He’s planning something,” Grantaire murmurs next to him. “I’m sure he’s planning something. That was pure anger when he saw us here. He’s thirsty for revenge.”

Jehan snorts and tries to cover it up with a cough. He seriously doubts a person can be that obsessed with someone else's love life, unless they want something with one of the people involved. He thinks it's better not to tell Grantaire that, though. Chances are he wouldn’t take it well. “Is he still bothering you during practice?” Jehan asks, genuinely interested.

“Sometimes. He calls me a faggot now, which isn’t better, but at least I can always fight back by saying that, contrary to him, I do have someone that loves me.” Grantaire is still staring at the back of Julian’s head, so he doesn’t notice Jehan’s frown. It’s that kind of casual arophobia barely anyone detects, but it bothers Jehan greatly. He’s debating whether to call Grantaire out of it or not, when the other boy speaks again. “Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn’t have said that,” he says, looking back at Jehan. “It wasn’t right, was it? I have the feeling that was wrong, but I’m not sure why.”

Jehan is astonished, honest to God, astonished. He’d never talked with someone this aware, except for Les Amis’ Triumvirate, who put actual effort to be inclusive and respectful. “It, uh, it implies that the only valuable type of love is romantic love. Assuming you were getting that from me, of course.”

“Ah, I see,” Grantaire says, nodding his head, slowly. He ponders on it for a moment, and turns to Jehan again. “Well, that makes sense. I won’t say that again, I promise. I’ll probably just punch him every time he calls me names.”

“You shouldn’t say that,” Jehan comments with a smile. “What would your parents say?”

“Probably that I’m a disgrace to the family and that I should be kicked out of my father’s willed. And that if they even answer the school’s call in the first place.”

Jehan had meant that as a joke, hadn’t really expected Grantaire to answer with such devastating truth. After Jehan came out to Grantaire, the boy felt more willing to talk about himself than he did before, and that had rubbed off on Grantaire. Jehan is immensely pleased with that development; they’ve grown closer, and, while it has very cute moments where Grantaire talks about everything that makes him happy, there are other like this one where he can’t keep the sadness out of his voice. “They don’t seem really nice, do they?”

Grantaire shrugs his shoulders. “They’re nice to everyone else, I guess I’m the real problem here.”

Jehan moves his stool closer to Grantaire and pats the back of his hand fondly. "I'm sure you're not the problem. They haven't realized how good you are, that's all."

Grantaire laughs with fake humor. "Nah, they're right. I'm shit. Did I ever tell you why they sent me here?" Jehan shakes his head. "I may have set my grandma's house on fire."

"You what?" Jehan asks scandalized.

Grantaire nods, laughing. Some guys on the front tables glare at him, but he doesn't seem to care. When he speaks again, though, his voice is considerably softer. "It was an accident. Kind of. My grandma died, like, two years ago. She was the one that took care of my sister and me and, well, she was cool." Grantaire smiles with a hint of longing in his eyes, and Jehan can only assume they were close. "Before she died, she asked me to get rid of a bunch of letters of a secret boyfriend she had and didn't want my father to find out about. So I did what she asked me to."

"And you thought the best way to do that was to set the house on fire?" Jehan whispers, unable to hide the incredulous tone in his voice.

"No! Only the box where they were stored. The curtains and the damn sofa were an accident."

"Oh, my God..."

"I know. I probably shouldn't have done it _inside_  the house. My bad." But Grantaire doesn't look regretful at all, judging by the way he's smiling. After a while, the smile fades and he looks down at his hands. "That was enough for my father and he sent me here, where he shouldn't have to see me, except for once a year during holidays."

"Do you miss them?" Jehan wonders aloud.

"I miss my sister. She's younger than me and now she has to deal with our parents' shit on her own. She writes me once a week; she's the only one that keeps doing it."

That's all Grantaire says about his family and Jehan doesn't push further. For what he's gathered, the boy has a complicated relationship with his father and it's probably hard for him to talk about it. Still, Jehan wants to let him know he's there whenever he needs to talk, so he rubs Grantaire's arm fondly, up to his shoulder, and pulls him closer for a side hug. Grantaire bumps his head against Jehan's playfully and he's smiling again when they look back at each other.

When Jehan redirects his eyes to the tables, he sees Julian staring at them with a deep frown.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They spend most of their afternoons in Jehan's room, watching movies. They're there after a meeting with Enjolras' club, which had gone considerably better than the last time they were there; the blond seems to be finally accepting their friendship and hadn't approached him again, although Grantaire had caught him shaking his head at them a few times, probably offended that Jehan decided to hang out with someone like him. Grantaire doesn't care. He knows the moment Jehan wants him to leave him alone, he's gonna tell him and Grantaire will walk away immediately.

But he hopes they never reach that point. The time they've spent together has been one of the greatest since Grantaire got in that school. They still hang out with their friends, separately and regularly, but they'd made a deal to see each other as much as possible. Grantaire has found that, as the days go by, it's become increasingly easier to reserve a part of his day to Jehan, to the point where he looks forward to it and forgets why he's doing all this in the first place.

Jehan laughs next to him and Grantaire can't help but to find it incredibly cute. He thinks is amazing how he can feel so comfortable lying in bed with someone without doing anything, not even talking sometimes. He's used to having to fill the silences for fear of them becoming awkward. With Jehan that doesn't happen. They either spend their time together pouring their hearts out or not talking at all if they don't need to, there's no in between. And Grantaire loves it.

"You're cute," he says because Jehan _needs_ to know. The other boy turns to face him and sticks his tongue out. "See? Adorable." He laughs when Jehan shoves him away and crosses his arms over his chest, faking a pout. Grantaire sits upright again and, after watching Jehan for a few seconds, scoots closer to him, planting a soft kiss on the corner of his lips.

Jehan freezes and his arms tense. Grantaire remembers too late: Jehan doesn't like kissing; they do not kiss each other, not in public, much less in private. He's not sure what came over him. He was feeling a suddenly strong wave of fondness for Jehan and a kiss seemed appropriate; he regrets every decision he's ever made to this point in his life. "Oh, my God! I'm so, so sorry. That was... shit. I overstepped, I'm sorry. Please, don't be mad."

Jehan takes a deep breath and the tension leaves his body. He still has his arms around himself, but at least he's smiling when he sees Grantaire. "It's okay. It took me by surprise."

Grantaire wants to keep apologizing but he knows it'd be out of place. They go back to the movie and he tries not to think about how Jehan's eyes aren't focused on the laptop in front of them anymore, or how the boy is kinda lost inside his head. Grantaire can practically hear him thinking and he wonders if this will be the moment he loses the best friend he's ever had, all because he couldn't control his impulses. Jehan doesn't even notice when the movie ends and keeps frowning at the screen when the credits start to roll.

"Uh," Grantaire says and Jehan jumps with the sound of his voice. In any other circumstances, Grantaire would've laughed; he grimaces instead. "Sorry, but, uh, the movie's over."

"Oh... Yeah. It was... good?"

"I have no idea," Grantaire says, honestly. Jehan snorts and that calms the other boy enough to breath easily again. "I'll go now. See you tomorrow?" He winces at the hopeful tone in his voice, but trusts Jehan didn't notice.

Jehan nods, but before Grantaire leaves the bed, he stops him. "Wait. I... Can I ask you something?" Grantaire nods, imagining Jehan saying he doesn't want to have him anywhere near him anymore. "This may sound weird, but. Could you kiss me again, please? Just to try?"

"What?" Grantaire says under his breath, unable to fully grasp the meaning of Jehan's words.

Jehan blushes and it's evident he's struggling with the words. "Don't take this the wrong way but, the other day outside the ice-cream saloon when you, uh, kissed me... That was weird. I wasn't prepared and, well, it didn't feel okay. But, just now, when you did it again-"

"I was aiming for your cheek, that was a miscalculation," Grantaire defends. It's a lie of course; he can even remember what he was thinking.

"Right," Jehan nods, but his cocked eyebrow says he's not buying it. "Anyway, that was... cute? I don't know, it was nice and I'd like, I'd like to do it again. If you agree?"

Grantaire thinks he's dreaming. After that kiss downtown, he's surprised himself thinking about Jehan's lips more than once. It's not really that he wants to kiss _him_ -or it wasn't until, like, five minutes ago-, but Jehan has really nice lips. Grantaire wants to taste them like some kind of candy. Or something. He remembers the infamous kiss the same way Jehan does, and that's why they've never tried it again. He can admit to himself that he'd like to give it a go -mostly because he's sure that was Jehan's first kiss and he feels terrible for ruining the experience.

He nods slowly and Jehan looks greatly surprised. "Really? Would you do it?"

"Sure. I mean, yeah. It'd be fun." Jehan folds his legs over the mattress and pats the spot across from him. "Oh, you mean now. Yeah, why not?"

He sits where Jehan tells him to and intertwines his hands over his folded legs. This reminds him of his own first kiss, somehow; he was eleven, she was twelve, and they were at his grandma's house. He hasn't kissed that many people ever since, but he sort of knows how to do it when he is with someone he likes; he likes Jehan as a friend, but he doesn't know exactly what the boy is expecting to get out of it, and that makes him nervous. He takes a deep breath and gets more comfortable on the bed. "Here we go."

Jehan nods.

Grantaire tries to be cool about it and just presses his lips to Jehan's. It's a chaste kiss that barely lasts a few seconds. He closed his eyes, but is sure the other boy didn't do it, because he's looking at him expectantly when they break apart. And Grantaire? He feels happy. But it's a different kind of happy to that he's felt with other kisses. It's like getting-into-bed-with-freshly-washed-sheets happy.

Jehan is smiling, too, with his face tilted to the left and a spark in his eyes. "Can we do it again?" he asks, a little embarrassed, and Grantaire nods.

The second kiss is a lot less stiff from Jehan's part, who allows it to last slightly longer. This time, Grantaire sees him closing his eyes before doing the same, venturing a hand up to the nape of Jehan's head. Grantaire lets him pull out of it first and smiles widely after seeing Jehan nodding excitedly. "Yeah, I think I could get used to those. We could, like, make them a thing between us?"

"Totally. It's done."

 

 

* * *

 

 

They spend the rest of the night half watching movies and half talking. Jehan gives Grantaire permission to "steal" kisses here and there, and he does the same a couple of times, but makes him promise they'll stay chaste and close-mouthed. Grantaire agrees to his conditions and, even though Jehan insists he establishes a few ground rules of his own, he assures he's cool with whatever Jehan wants to do. Jehan hasn't told him yet, but he feels safe with him and that's something he'll always be grateful for.

They fall asleep through the third movie, with their shoulders pressed together on the small bed. They didn't even change their clothes before the first movie, so Jehan wakes up In the middle of the night feeling warmer and with his jeans clinging uncomfortably to his skin. But that isn't the only think he notices: something heavy is falling over his side, and he can feel Grantaire pressed closer to him. He looks down and sees Grantaire's arm around his waist, not exactly holding him, but definitely _there_.

Jehan is about to push him away, but changes his mind in the last minute. He shifts on the bed to snuggle closer to his friend, and takes his hand between his own, pressing them together against his chest. He feels more than hears Grantaire pleased sigh on the back of his neck and he goes back to sleep with that happy thought. The next time he wakes up, Grantaire is plastered against the wall, very much awake, and trying to free his hand from Jehan's grip.

"Hey," Jehan says, looking over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Terrific. But, uh, somehow my hand found its way to yours."

"Oh," Jehan looks down to their hands but doesn't let go. "You don't like it?" he asks, loosening his fingers.

Grantaire stops fighting.

"You do?"

Jehan shrugs.

Grantaire looks around himself, confused, and then presses his body back against Jehan's as gently as he can. Jehan rubs circles on the back of his hand, relaxing in Grantaire's embrace. "We should get out of bed, though," he suggests with a wide smile. "I'm pretty sure we're late for class."

"On the bright side, we're already wearing clothes," Grantaire points out, looking down at himself.

But their happy mood is short-lived. They're almost out of bed when the door to Jehan's room swings open. They stop in their tracks and see Javert, the school's vice principal, glaring down at them. His eyes are red and bulging, and the vein on his neck is pulsing grotesquely.

"You two," he growls, "get away from each other." Grantaire jumps out of the bed before Jehan's brain can even begin to process what he's been told. He stumbles when he's trying to get up and his feet tangle between the sheets, causing him to fall to the floor. Grantaire moves to help him up, but Javert stops him. "No!" he shouts, a threatening finger pointing at Grantaire. “Stay there." Once Jehan is back at his feet, Javert points at the door. "You're coming with me. The principal won't be pleased with this." Jehan and Grantaire exchange a frightening look and walk behind Javert.

The hallways are almost empty when they walk into the building with the classrooms and offices. A clock on the wall tells Jehan it's almost 9:30; the other kids are in class, except for the few scattered around the hallway, looking at them with curiosity as they enter the principal's office. Before Javert closes the door, Jehan sees Julian smirking devilishly in their direction.

"Sir," Javert greets professor Valjean. There's something in the way he says the word that sounds quite similar to disgust.

"Good morning, Javert. What can I do for you?" Professor Valjean asks with his eyes trained on the boys standing in his office.

"I caught mister Prouvaire and mister Grantaire hiding in one of the dormitories after skipping the first period."

"I see," Valjean says calmly. "But I'm sure Madame Hucheloup can handle that on her own."

"I disagree. Sir," he adds. "Their classmates referred to me that they'd seen them performing inappropriate displays of... affection in public. They were lying on the bed with their clothes disheveled when I found them, sir."

"What?" Grantaire gasps next to Jehan; Valjean narrows his eyes slightly, but doesn't look shocked.

"Thank you, Javert. I'll take care if it from here." Javert hesitates before leaving the office, offended by having been left out. He slams the door on his way out.

"We weren't doing anything, professor!" Grantaire jumps in. "We fell asleep watching a movie and we didn't change into our pajamas. We were _sleeping."_

"I understand, mister Grantaire. Please, take a seat. Both of you."

Jehan sits at Grantaire's right and starts fidgeting with his hands.

None of what the vice principal had said is truth. They, sometimes, hold hands on the hallway, but that's about all they do, because Jehan gets a little uncomfortable and Grantaire respects that. They only kiss on the cheek when they go on separate ways and, sometimes, Grantaire throws an arm around Jehan's shoulders when they're studying. He refuses to believe that anyone could consider that inappropriate and he wonders if it is only because they're both boys.

"I'd like to hear your version of the story," Valjean requests, folding his arms over the desk.

Grantaire is the one that talks. He tells the principal he and Jehan are close, about their platonic relationship, and how, apart from that one kiss outside the ice-cream saloon, they have never done anything that isn't chaste and easily taken as pure friendship. "Ask your daughter and all her friends," Grantaire says at the end. "They know. Or go smell the fucking sheets, for all I care, you won't find anything. We were sleeping."

"I have to ask you to watch your language, mister Grantaire," Valjean corrects, kindly. "As much as I want to believe you, I'm afraid there's a procedure we must follow in situations such as this, and there's nothing else I can do to help you until said procedure is completed."

"What procedure?" Is the only thing Jehan says.

"I have to inform your parents and call for a reunion with them."


	3. Chapter 3

Valjean dismisses them after throwing the bomb that their parents will show up at the school. Jehan doesn't speak on their way back to the dormitories, but Grantaire assumes it's because of Javert walking closely behind them. However, this continues like that throughout the day and Grantaire realizes it's an unspoken rule that they are not to be seen together. They sit away from each other during lunch and dinner -with Javert's watchful eye on them-, and go to bed without saying goodnight. The next day, Jehan's mom is at the school.

Grantaire doesn't know her, but Éponine tells him who she is when the woman enters the building. All the eyes are on her, and Grantaire isn't surprised the entire school knows all about the incident. Jehan's mom doesn't look angry; she even hugs Jehan when the boy approaches her before Valjean directs her to his office. She stops to throw a quick glance at Grantaire above Jehan's shoulders and follows the old man through the door.

Grantaire isn't that lucky.

The first sign of the doom falling upon him is the presence of Mabeuf, the family lawyer, at the school instead of Grantaire's parents. Mabeuf looks at the boy with resignation, although Grantaire has received more affection from him than from his own father. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it," the lawyer tells him, patting his shoulder as he walks past him. Javert closes the door behind the newcomer; neither Grantaire nor Jehan are allowed in the room.

The meeting extends for almost two hours. The boys are waiting outside the office, barely talking, when the door opens. Mabeuf is the first to come out, holding his briefcase close to his side. "Thank you, professor Valjean," he says, shaking the other man's hand. "The Grantaire family appreciates your discretion on the matter. We'll stay in contact." He starts to walk towards the main entrance and makes a sign for Grantaire to follow. He's whispering when talks to the boy. "You dodge a bullet, kid."

"Did I?"

"Yeah... There's nothing in the school's regulation against public demonstrations of affection. As long as you don't have intercourse within the school's domain, you're free to continue your... relationship with mister Prouvaire".

"Just like that?" Grantaire asks, because he can't be that lucky. There must be a catch somewhere.

"Just like that. Madame Prouvaire is... an interesting woman. When she blamed the school of perpetuating homophobia, Javert yielded."

"Holy shit. And... my dad?"

"I'll take care of him, don't worry." They stop at the gates and Mabeuf gives him a brief hug. "I have to go. Please, for the love of God, behave yourself."

"I always do." When the lawyer is almost out of sight, Grantaire shouts "Hey, old man! No intercourse means we can't bang, right?!" Mabeuf throws him a disapproving look over the roof of the car.

 

***

 

Jehan sees Grantaire interacting with his father's lawyer until they get lost around the corner of the hallway. He's worried about him, but right now, he can only think of what his mother could be saying inside that office. When Grantaire appears again at the end of the hallway, Jehan notices he looks considerably calmer, walking fast to reunite with him. The door to Valjean's office is pulled open again, this time to let way to Jehan's mom; the boy stands up immediately, exchanging a quick look with Grantaire, who had stopped mid-step after seeing the adults.

"Thank you, professor. It was a lovely chat. I'll show myself outside, thank you. Have a nice day." She shakes the men's hands and redirects her steps towards the entrance. "Walk with me, honey," she instructs Jehan.

Jehan has never seen his mother this happy and that's unnerving, particularly because the situations demands of different reaction. He almost wishes she starts yelling once they let the building, but instead, she hugs him tightly.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend!" she yells excitedly in his ear.

"Uh," Jehan babbles, completely out of something better to say.

"I know I sometimes say things that I shouldn't," she adds, resuming her way to the gates, "but you know that I love you and, even if it's hard to accept at first, I'm happy for you. You shouldn't have taken him to your room, though. That was inappropriate. I know you’re in a difficult age, but you need to learn self-control."

"Mom... No..." he interrupts because _eww._ "We were sleeping."

"Of course, honey. But don't think this will stay like this, I want to meet him! Invite him over this weekend, I'll make diner."

"I don't think he can-" he objects. The last thing he wants is his mother anywhere near Grantaire.

"Oh, come on," she interrupts. “He’d love to. I have to go, darling. I'll pick you up on Friday. Love you."

Jehan suppresses a grunt and goes back over his steps. Grantaire is waiting on the hallway with Éponine and Feuilly, and frowns at Jehan's grim mood. "Why the long face?" he asks.

“How do you feel about going for diner at my house this weekend?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

After Jahan’s mother picks them up outside the school, they go together to the city where their house is. The two boys are sitting together on the back seat, making funny faces at each other when they think Jehan’s mom isn’t watching. It’s a nice neighborhood, Grantaire thinks, far from being a dumpster but not as wealthy as others he’s seen.

“Tell me, Grantaire, what your parents do for a living?” the woman behind the wheel asks.

“Mom,” Jehan warns with severe eyes, but Grantaire smiles at him reassuringly.

“Okay, sorry, sorry” she says. “I hope you like roast beef, we'll have that for dinner.”

Jehan's house is bigger than Grantaire had imagined. He remembers Jehan saying her mother was a neurosurgeon or something fancy like that and now he understand why Jehan goes to the same school as him. He looks at the pictures on the living room while Jehan and his mother take care of dinner. There a bunch of pictures of Jehan, from baby to his current age, all with funny clothes he must have chosen by himself. There's no trace of Jehan's father and it occurs to Grantaire that maybe the boy grew up without him.

"Dinner's ready!" Jehan's mom announces happily and Grantaire takes a seat next to Jehan. "Thank you for joining us, son," the woman says, looking at Grantaire; he sees Jehan rolling his eyes. "You will always be welcome here."

After dinner, the woman sends Jehan to clean his room and make space for Grantaire, while they both do the dishes. “You don’t mind, dear?” she asks nicely, but judging by the expression on her face, he really doesn’t have a choice. She glances at the stairs, waiting until Jehan disappears on the second floor to speak. “I’m so happy you’re here, honey. You have no idea how relieved I am.”

“Uhm, sure, it’s a pleasure.”

“Now that you’re here, it changes everything.” She has tears on her eyes and realization hits Grantaire. It’s been four month since they started the charade of being boyfriends, but Grantaire somehow forgot about it, even after what happened at school. The friendship with Jehan feels so natural at this point that neither of them are pretending anymore. However, it is until then that he thinks that maybe not everyone sees it as friendship, that’s why they got in troubles in the first place, and now Jehan’s mother’s happiness is for an entire different reason than he thought. She didn’t invite him because he was his friend, but because she thought they were really dating.

“Uh… you’re not mad your son’s with another boy,” he says, half a question half a statement.

“Oh, no, honey. At this point I’m blissful he’s… well, _normal._ He’d never had a girlfriend… or boyfriend before, you know?” She chuckles, drying a plate with the dishcloth. “You might think I’m silly but I was starting to think he had some sort of disorder… Like… he couldn’t feel anything, I was really worried he had to see a doctor.” She turns around and holds Grantaire’s shoulders with her hands. “But you’re here. You’re here and that means he’s fine, he’ll be okay... Thank you so much, dear, you made a woman happy.”

Jehan chooses that moment to come into the kitchen and cocks an eyebrow at them. “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing. Now you both go to sleep. It was a long day, very emotional.” She guides them to the second floor, stopping in front of Jehan’s bedroom where a mattress has been placed next to the bed. “You can sleep in here, Grantaire, but no funny business, okay? I’ll be in my room… listening to the radio”, she adds with a wink and Jehan’s smile is sad, but his mother doesn’t seem to notice. “Good night, boys.”

“Good night.” The woman closes the door and Jehan pats the bed on thespot next to him shyly. “What did she tell you?”

“That she's happy I'm here.” Jehan rolls his eyes, standing up to close the curtains. “You haven’t told her, have you?”

“That I’m aromantic and her dream of seeing me forming a big family will never come true? No… I’ve told her in a hundred different ways that I’m not interested in having that kind of relationships, though, and she doesn’t get it. Naming it won’t change anything.”

“Maybe it will. Maybe she’ll understand it’s okay, maybe-”

“You know how long it took me to understand it myself? How hard it was to actually believe I’m not defective?!” Jehan shouts and covers his mouth immediately after the words come out, glancing at the door, waiting for a noise from outside. When none comes, he whispers, “Sorry… That was unnecessary.” His eyes are watery and he does everything in his power to hold the tears back as he sits next to Grantaire again. The other boy shifts in his place, digging his nails on the skin of his own knees. Jehan takes a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter, Grantaire. It’s… it’s okay like this.”

“She loves you.”

“I know.”

They remain silent for a few minutes and Grantaire feels like he should apologize for all the trouble; it’s because of him they’re in this mess; it’s because of him that Jehan is fighting for not crying in front of him. “I’m so sorry I made things worse between you and your mom…”

“You didn’t. On the contrary, you made ‘em easier somehow. It’s a lie, but it’s easier.”

 

***

 

His mother drives them back to school on Sunday afternoon. Jehan is silent on the back seat, since his mother insisted Grantaire sat beside her during the journey; the only thing he wants to do is to go to his room and maybe sleep for thirty years. His mother parks in front of the school, and Jehan’s the first one to get out of the car.

“Wait, wait, wait. Come here, young man. Kiss your mother goodbye, okay?” She crushes him in a tight hug that lasts a few more minutes than it usually does between them. They break apart and his mother cups his face between her hands, kissing him in both cheeks. “I’m so proud of you, Jehan. So, so proud of you.” It’s the first time she tells him, and it’s because of a lie. “You see? I knew you’d find that especial someone someday, as long as you didn’t give up,” she whispers for his ears only. “Promise me you’re going to visit me again, Grantaire.”

“Sure, ma’am.”

Jehan doesn’t wait for her to leave before starting to walk to the main door; Grantaire follows him silently. Jehan bites his bottom lip, he feels uneasy for some reason but he's glad to be back at school. Grantaire hugs him by the shoulders, kissing his temple and Jehan notices a tear peeking out of the corner of his eye. He wipes it quickly, before Grantaire has a chance to say a word, but he’s sure he saw it.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Right as rain.”

Grantaire follows him inside his bedroom, allowing him enough time to kick him out if he wants to, but Jehan doesn’t do it. That doesn’t change the fact that he doesn’t know what to expect next, though. He’s so used to cry his anxieties alone that it comes as a surprise when the other boy snuggles beside him on the bed, kissing the top of his head and stroking his back reassuringly. He chokes on his sobs, trying to hold them back but it’s useless, he’s too far gone now. The worst part is he isn’t even sure why he’s crying: he finally made his mother happy, she’s finally proud of him.

“It’s okay, I’m here.” Grantaire says, holding him more firmly and rocking him on the bed as best as he can in the position they’re settled in.

Jehan titles his head to look up at him, vision a little blurry due to the tears, and lays a small kiss on the other boy’s lips. “Thanks for the weekend” he says weakly.

Grantaire shakes his head and avoids his eyes. Jehan knows he feels guilty, but he shouldn’t; it really wasn’t his fault and he’d make him see it when he has enough energy to do so. For now, he’s content with having him here where he can hug him tightly and press his forehead on the junction between his neck and shoulder. Grantaire has to go back to his own room before they get caught again. He kisses his forehead before turning the lights off and closes the door carefully. Jehan isn’t crying anymore when he finally falls asleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Grantaire can’t get the image of Jehan crying out of his mind. Not even after he sees him smiling and being his usual self the very next day at breakfast. They sit next to each other -as they’ve done since the whole thing began- and Grantaire holds his hand under the table, rubbing little circles with his thumb. Jehan throws him a questioning look but doesn’t let go; it’s weird, but Grantaire thinks he needs it even more than Jehan does.

He goes to his practice that afternoon and becomes very clear very quickly he is unfocused and distracted, especially after Bahorel -who hasn’t recovered entirely yet but is stubborn enough to be in the gym against all odds- blocks his tenth hit easily. His friend opens his arms wide in a questioning gesture and Grantaire just dismiss it with his hand. He excuses himself to go practicing on the punching bag, where he can be alone with his thoughts.

He doesn’t know how to help Jehan, how to make him feel better, worthy and … understood? He doesn’t even know what Jehan’s feeling, to be honest, and he probably should find that out before doing anything. Does he even want his help? His support? Would it make things better for him? He already has Cosette and Enjolras and practically the entire ABC group, Grantaire doesn’t mean anything… And why does he, Grantaire, care so much anyway? Why is he feeling so… protective all of a sudden? He has other friends and, even though he cares a lot about them too, there’s something different about Jehan.

Grantaire hits the bag hard, stopping its bouncing with his arms. He rests his cheek on the worn out leather and sighs. He needs to figure this out or else he could lose Jehan.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I think… I’m in love with you”, says Grantaire and Jehan’s heart sinks.

They are outside the library, sitting together on the ground, Grantaire cutting little pieces of grass with nervous fingers. He’d been staring at his shoelaces for about half an hour without saying a word and Jehan would’ve liked to hear anything else but this. Anything, because Grantaire being in love with him means he’ll have to tell him that ‘no, thank you’ and he’ll lose the best friend he’s ever had.

Jehan has always loved the idea of a platonic partner. Someone with whom he could be, no romance or sex involved. And in an ideal world, the other person wouldn’t mind; they would like it that way, too, because Jehan alone would be enough, his friendship and love would be enough. And that person would love him, too, and he’d be important to them, even if they find a romantic partner, and neither of them would be really alone because they’d have each other.

But this was the real world, and in the real world a great percentage of people fall in love. Just like Cosette -who he first thought could be that person- had fallen for Marius. Just like Grantaire had done with him now… And romantic partners have priority, don’t they? Jehan understands, even if he thinks is unfair, even if it makes him feel left out and unwanted, he understands. But right now he has to tell Grantaire they can’t be together, because as much as the idea of having a real boyfriend just to pretend to be like everyone else seems appealing at the moment, he would never force himself into it. And he’d never, by no means, use Grantaire. So he closes his eyes tightly, gathering all his strength to say what he knows he has to.

“Grantaire…”

“I’m in love with you,” the other boy interrupts. “But not in an ‘I want to fuck you senseless’ way -not that you aren’t hot, and if you'd like that, I'm game-, but more in the ‘I really like kissing you and snuggle with you’ way. But not making out. I dunno, I like being with you and stuff, but don’t think about you naked and- You know what? This is awkward, ignore me, okay? Just forget what I said, I’m really stupid.”

Jehan can’t believe what he just heard. “Do you… you mean you don’t want to be my boyfriend for real?”

“No. I mean, yes, I mean that. I… I’m in love with you as a friend? Does that make sense? I…” he continues, not expecting an answer, “I love you, because that’s the word, but not… not romantically. It’s so fucking hard to explain but, I want you to be my super bestes friend and, like, be together and share things and… Basically what we’ve been doing these months but to stop pretending we’re boyfriends because I love you beyond that. You’re more than a boyfriend to me, Jehan…”

Jehan laughs because that’s probably the sweetest thing he’s ever heard. Grantaire snaps his head up, looking at him scared, but Jehan’s smiling. He leans forward to press a soft kiss on Grantaire’s forehead, resting his hand on the back of his neck. He pulls back, still smiling, and Grantaire can’t help but smile himself, too, even though he probably soesn't have a clue of what's going on.

“Yeah,” Jehan says. “me, too.”

"So... what happened here?" Grantaire asks, smiling sideways.

"I want to be with you," Jehan answers, holding his hand, "as a friend. And kiss you as a friend. And cuddle you as a friend. And be your boyfriend, if you want, as a friend."

Grantaire is supressing a laugh and he says between giggles that shouldn't be that adorable "Are you proposing, mister Prouvaire?"

Jehan nods, excitedly. "I guess I am. Do you want to be my platonic boyfriend forever, Grantaire?"

"I thought I already was, dude."

They seal the engagement with a high five, and have pizza for dinner with all their friends that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of Jehan's mom's more memorable quotes are courtesy of my own mother. She's funny like that.
> 
> Uff, I have too many feelings about this story. I hope you'd enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> [[Other works for this event](http://anastasiapullingteeth.tumblr.com/tagged/aaw%2A)]


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